I bolted out of the restaurant towards the waves, needing the ocean roar to drown out my own anger. Needing something to match my need to yell and scream and demand. The ocean waves were greedy, and I was so tired of being giving. I wanted to be the ocean. To take and take and take instead of being expected to give.

I sunk into the sand, knees pulled to my chest, trying to hold myself together.

I take one job to keep me out of trouble and my parents are ready to quit adulting for life and leave me to do everything...

It was too much, and I found it hard to breathe, to think, to do much of anything, except for sit and stare at the water, angry tears in my eyes.

A shadow pulled me out of my thoughts and I found myself staring up at Luke as he crouched before me. "Bermuda?"

I glared, my anger finding a physical target. "What?!?" I snapped. He remained quiet, looking down at me with an unreadable expression. "Don't you have a trust exercise to get back to?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice solid in a world of swirling chaos. An anchor in a roaring storm.

I tilted my chin up higher, my stubbornness making everything inside of me prickle with paranoia. "Why do you care?"

Luke searched my face, unfazed by my anger, steady, calm. "Because you look like you want to walk into that ocean and never come back out. That's not something I can ignore."

"I'm not going to—"

"I know," he added gently. "But sometimes, when your world falls apart, you shouldn't be alone when the pieces hit the ground."

"I'm not in the mood for company," I warned. "I'm feeling mean."

"That's fine," he said, sitting down next to me on the sand, stretching out his legs. "Be mean. Your verbal barbs aren't meant to cut me. I just happen to be the closest target."

I continue to glare at him, knowing the anger was the only thing keeping me from crying.

Why is it that the person our sharp words are meant for are not the ones that tend to get cut by our hurts?

We both watched the waves for a long moment, the stars and moon the only light along the sand and water. The stars sprinkled across the water's surface, mirroring the night sky, creating sparks of moving magic. The moon's shadow cut across our bodies, leaving long shadows in our wake.

"You look like you could use something to yell at," Luke finally said.

I closed my eyes, hating how easy it was to read me. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because..." I'm afraid that if I start screaming, I'll never stop. "Everyone will hear me."

"So?"

"And I'll look stupid."

Luke stood up, shaking his head. "That shouldn't stop you. We all have things to scream about. And something tells me you don't really care about looking stupid."

I sighed, giving my legs a comfort squeeze. He was right. If I cared, I would put a little more thought into the colors I picked for my hair, or the style of my clothes. I didn't care much about looking ridiculous. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

Luke stared off at the water, his face lit by the full moon. "I'll go first."

"Wait, what—"

Then cupping his hands to his mouth, Luke shouted into the waves at the top of his lungs. ""WHY CAN'T I GET A MOMENT OF PEACE WITHOUT BEING RECOGNIZED!"

I fought a smile, amused by how dramatically loud he was. The sound of his voice caused a bird to squawk, taking off in a fluttered panic.

He looked at me with a sad smile. "See, not so hard." Then he shouted again. "WHY DOES MY FAMILY NAME COME WITH SO MUCH BAGGAGE!?!"

I was no longer fighting a smile. The pain in his voice was real, washed away by the roar of the ocean. The honesty in his words gave me courage. Standing to my feet, I shouted into the darkness, the sound of the roaring waves washing away my anguish.

"WHY ARE MY PARENTS SO SELFISH!?!" My voice cracked. "WHY CAN'T CARTER HAVE A NORMAL LIFE!?!" My voice grew louder, my words braver. "WHY IS LIFE SO HARD!?!" Tears brimmed in my eyes. "I AM SOOOOO TIRED OF BEING STRONG!"

The words squeezed out of me like poison being emptied from a wound, leaving me feeling empty. All the anger swallowed by the sea, leaving me too tired to stand. Settling onto the sand, I watched as the growing tide streamed across my ankles, and I wrapped my hands around my legs again, exhausted.

I glared out at the water, trying to stay angry. Trying to keep from crying. The thought of dealing with my parents in this new stage of life when they already cared so little was almost more than I could bare. Would they take their new freedom and watch over Carter? Or would they just travel the world, pretending he didn't exist.

Luke settled down next to me, eyes out on the water, his voice sharp, tone protective. "You shouldn't have to be strong all the time, Em."

"I am so tired, Luke... I..." I buried my face into my knees unable to keep my feelings inside. Tears streaked down my knees, a current of pain and frustration. There was something about the dark that made people daring. Bold in expressing the things that otherwise stood behind a locked door.

"Then take a moment for yourself."

To my utter surprise, Luke gently pulled my head onto his shoulder and it was shockingly wonderful how well my face seemed to fit against the crook of his neck. Almost like they were made to go together. And the idea of it hurt. Because it wasn't real. It was all based on movie magic and fake closeness. And most likely pity because he happened upon a girl who was crying on the beach.

"I don't have a choice," I protested weakly.

Luke paused, body going momentarily stiff as I settled against his neck. "You don't have to be right now." He glanced out at the water, his gaze iron as he gazed across the water, his eyes catching in the moonlight. "Let the problem go for a few minutes. It'll be there when you are ready."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I wish there was a 'destroy all the bad things,' button," I muttered.

He chuckled, the sound tickling the side of my face. "That would be nice. I would use it constantly."

Shifting, he turned to look at me, tilting his head towards the water. "Fancy a swim? I know that helps me when the world tries to drown me. Makes me feel in charge again."

Glancing at the water I hesitated. It was dark, and late. And it was Hawaii. And I was alone with Luke. And he had made it clear that he was going to bed early, yet here he was, taking time to make me feel better. I lifted my head from his shoulder and searched his eyes. "Why are you doing this?" I asked so quietly that I wasn't sure he heard me.

Luke stood up, wiping sand off his clothes, avoiding my gaze. "Because I know what it's like to have family that takes more than they give." He swallowed, his eyes going dark. "And sometimes, you need someone else to remind you how to swim again."

He held his hand out to me. I shook my head. "I don't have a bathing suit on."

A dark smirk crossed his face. "So?"

An angry blush crossed my face at the challenge in his voice. The tone of competition back between us. And unable to help my competitive side, I took his hand, enjoying the sudden bolt of fire that went up my fingers.

Luke helped me up to my feet and pulled me into the surf without warning, not bothering to chuck off his shirt, startling a surprised laugh out of me. I waded in after him, my light summer dress clinging to my body.

...

The water was warm, making it almost impossible to tell where the humid air ended and the ocean began. The ocean clung to my body, calling dibs, cutting new shapes across my frame, showcasing curves that otherwise remained hidden as I swam out into the deep.

There was something about water, the way it touched every part of you that made you feel alive. Wired and touched in a way that felt strangely intimate. And that feeling stretched, transferred to the water, making you feel connected to anyone close by. And that alive, wired, aware of everything feeling touched Luke, the only other person out in the water with me, his own clothes clinging to his body, cutting new shapes, making each of us aware of where the other was, tugged together on an invisible string.

The water trailed down Luke's face, his jaw, his shoulders as he found a shallow patch in the water and stood up, the moon catching all six feet of him in a glow. Like a Grecian god coming out of the surf.

I turned away, fighting to keep my own jaw from dropping into the water and flipped onto my back, floating on the surface, eyes on the stars. "So when you are home, do you just go around looking for bodies of water to swim in with your clothes on?"

I heard Luke swim closer, the ripples sending my body bobbing up and down in the water. "No. I have a pool at home."

I snorted. "Of course you do." I flipped back over and swam further away, giving myself more space. "Let me guess... an infinity pool on a balcony that overlooks Los Angeles?"

Luke remained quiet and I laughed. "I knew it. Predictable."

"I can't really swim laps in public now can I?" he argued, closing the gap between us slightly. "I'd get mauled by a pack of fans."

I gave him a mock sympathetic look. "Poor you."

Luke swam closer, his smile dangerous. "Laugh all you want now, but soon you'll be in the same boat. And when that happens, I'm not letting you borrow my pool when a pack of fans are chasing you."

"I don't plan on doing any other movies after this one," I said down to my reflection. "One is enough. I don't want fans." It wasn't something I had said out loud, or shared with anyone. Most people would find my reluctance for stardom to be crazy. But I didn't want to be known.

If my work was known, great, but I didn't want to be famous myself. That would mean that everything about me would become famous. My flaws, hobbies, mistakes, pains. And I didn't want that.

"So I won't be mooching off your pool," I added to keep the conversation light.

"Too much baggage with the job?" he asked, swimming closer, our bodies sending small ripples across each other's skin.

"This isn't exactly what I want to do," I admitted.

Instead of asking me why I bothered auditioning. Why I took a job I hadn't fully wanted, Luke nodded, seeming to understand what I left unsaid. I did what I had to do, and at least in this case, I didn't need to explain myself.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, voice soft, his fingers accidentally brushing mine as he swam close by.

I swallowed, ducking further into the water, self-conscious, not wanting to share my dream. It wasn't something I ever talked about. "You'll laugh."

Luke ducked lower in the water, mirroring me, his dark eyes reflecting the surface, lit with moonlight, two perfect chocolate swirls. "I wont."

Ignoring the perfect set of pastry temptations staring at me, I ducked further into the water, up to my chin. "I've always loved conspiracy theories..." I took in a large breath and blurted out the rest before I could lose my nerve. "I want to run a podcast where every week, I investigate a mystery."

"Like the Bermuda Triangle?" Luke guessed, a hint of a smile on his face.

I nodded. "Or Big Foot."

He inched closer, his dark, raven black hair fanning out across the water, ink across the blue surface. I could feel his breath on my face as he spoke, his tone deep. "I'd listen to that."

His words settled deep inside, like a cool fizzy drink on a hot summer day, causing my stomach to whirl.

I fought another smile, knowing that the moment I gave in, I wouldn't be able to keep myself from falling into dozens of them. Because even though Luke Walker had a habit of infuriating me, he also had a habit of finding the soft spots that I had inside, cracking them open and making me smile. He had done it for Cater by giving blood, for my car by fixing her, for my first day of acting by calming me down, and for me when those paparazzi had harassed me during my karaoke number by dumping a drink on the guilty party.

Despite his grumpy exterior, Luke was soft, gentle. Something I was sure he didn't want others to see. And yet... I had seen it. I had been the focus of it. And that kindness was hard to ignore.

I swam back a foot, not trusting myself so close to Luke. Not in this place. Not when he looked far too comfortable around me. Not when forgetting that I was still supposed to write about him, would end terribly. He didn't need someone like me in his life. Not for longer than the shoot demanded.

"How do you do it?" I asked Luke, settling on my back again.

"The fame? The glory?" he asked in an amused tone.

"All of it."

He leaned back, staring up at the stars, his fingers momentarily grazing mine as he settled along the water next to me. "This isn't actually what I wanted to do either." He laughed as I raised a brow at him in surprise. "I know. It's not what most people expect." He ran his fingers through his hair, sending water droplets streaming down his temples. "I  just knew it would anger my parents. And back then, that's what I wanted more than anything."

I tilted my head to look at him more closely. "Seriously?"

He nodded, a sharp smile coating his lips. "I've been known to go against my families wishes. That isn't new information. This is probably the longest way to rebel I've ever undertaken. I was good at acting and it kinda stuck." His tone turned thoughtful. "Here I am, ten years later, wondering with every job I take on if I'm digging myself deeper into a career that'll never let me go."

"If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?" I asked.

He sighed, long and low. Like the idea was one he hadn't let out of a box for a long time. "I honestly don't know. Not anymore."

"You should think about what you want," I suggested. "And then make it happen..."

I trailed off as the look on Luke's face changed to something dark and unreadable.

"Um... or not," I added lamely.

Luke looked away, a muscle working in his clenched jaw. "I'll think about it."

"It's good to think about what you want."

"It's also dangerous. Hard to let go of once you let want settle inside you." Luke looked back at me, and the expression on his face left me breathless, frozen in the water. A strange current seemed to spark in between us at the word want.

We stared at each other, the space between us suddenly too much and too little all at once. The CPR scene flashed through my mind, the feel of his lips, his fingers, his touch. A dangerous taste, a sample that let us know what could be.

Get out of the water Em before you do something stupid like try and kiss this super hot movie star and ruin everything!

My clear indecision must have been written all over my face because Luke's fingers wrapped around my wrist, tugging me closer, his eyes searching mine. My heart hammered wildly, and I wondered if he could feel it under water, my pulse unraveling under his fingers.

I held my breath, body suddenly too warm, the blood in my ears too loud. My world was a mess of chaos and I didn't want to add a selfish moment to my list of mistakes.

And yet...

I didn't move away. Luke waited, assessing, pausing in question. Not using words. We were terrible with our words. Everything we did seemed to be a strange competition, and in that exact moment, I wasn't sure if he was daring me, testing me, or merely wanted me.

His fingers along my wrist moved gently up my arm, sending brushes of flame up my body.

Em... Something inside of me warned. But the voice was quiet, hard to hear over the feel of Luke's hand landing on my shoulder.

His fingers brushed along my neck, weaving into my wet hair.

Em... the voice inside of me said more faintly. More uncertainly. Loosing logic as I began to melt into Luke's touch. A touch that was the perfect combination of soft and salacious. Comfort and chaotic. Heat and home.

Luke brought his forehead to mine, his breath hot along my neck, his nose brushing mine. The sudden jolt of fire inside felt so wonderful, so terrifying, so foreign that it felt undeserved.

I felt unworthy of it. Guilt suddenly made the voice inside of me louder, giving it a megaphone that sliced through me.

Em... the voice inside screamed, suddenly so loud that I stumbled back, yanked back to reality, splashing, sending water flying in all directions. Luke jumped, startled by my sudden reaction, eyes wide.

My face burned, body shaking, embarrassment warring with confusion as Luke looked at me.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head, heart hammering, trying to figure out what to say. "I—"

A flash sparked across the water like a bolt of lightning, and I spotted someone standing on the shore, camera in hand, watching us, camera flash sparking to life.

---

Thank you for reading chapter twenty one! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!

It looks like Luke is warming up to Em. Will things continue to warm up, or will something stop their budding relationship?

What will happen next?

CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever swam in the ocean? Which ocean? Did you enjoy it?